Great Wall Motor Co., China¡¯s largest light-truck maker, appointed veteran designer Phil Simmons design director and vice president for the Haval brand.

Simmons will lead the design studio at Haval¡¯s headquarters in the north China city of Baoding as well as the brand¡¯s advanced design studio in Shanghai, Great Wall said on its website for the Australian market.

He was previously the studio director for Land Rover¡¯s exterior design and responsible for the creation of the 2018 Range Rover and Range Rover Sport, the 2017 Range Rover Velar, as well as the 2016 Range Rover Evoque, Discovery and Discovery Sport.

Simmons, a native of England, has over 30 years of experience in automotive design, including a stint at Ford Motor Co., according to the website.

Great Wall is China¡¯s largest manufacturer of crossovers and SUVs. It launched Haval as its primary brand in 2013. In the first seven months, the company delivered 525,849 vehicles, of which 68 percent were Haval-badged crossovers and SUVs.

Last year, Great Wall introduced crossovers and SUVs under its premium brand Wey. In April, it unveiled its first electric vehicle brand -- Ora.

The Chinese company signed an agreement with BMW Group in July to establish a 5.1 billion-yuan ($747 million) joint venture to build EVs in the east China city of Zhangjiagang. The partnership is slated to launch its first product in 2021.

Great Wall is also the largest pickup maker in China, marketing trucks under the Wingle brand. It is headquartered in Baoding and listed in Hong Kong and Shanghai.